Gillian Ayres was a prominent British abstract painter known for her vibrant, large-scale works characterized by bold color and expressive, gestural forms. Born in London, Ayres studied at Camberwell School of Art, where she developed an interest in abstract expressionism, drawing inspiration from artists such as Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning.
Ayres was a key figure in the post-war British art scene, and her work evolved from a focus on lyrical abstraction in the 1950s to a more structured use of color and form later in her career. She worked with both oil and acrylic paints and experimented with various techniques to create textured, layered compositions. Her art was notable for its joyous, exuberant quality, often resembling a celebration of color and movement.
Throughout her career, Ayres held teaching positions at institutions such as Bath Academy of Art and Winchester School of Art, and her work was exhibited internationally. She was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2011 and continued painting until her death in 2018.
In addition to her celebrated work as a painter, Gillian Ayres was an accomplished printmaker. She embraced printmaking in the 1970s, working primarily with woodcuts, linocuts, and screen printing. Her prints, much like her paintings, are distinguished by their bold use of color and abstract forms, reflecting her energetic, free-spirited approach to art. Ayres saw printmaking as an opportunity to experiment with composition and color in new ways, often creating limited-edition prints that captured the same vibrancy and expressive quality as her paintings.